2010 Arizona Diamondbacks: A Game of Walk-Off Bingo

Nine walk-off losses this year for the Diamondbacks. They have come in all shapes and sizes. There have been extra inning losses that just come from a simple base hit. There have been game-ending home runs.

Some have been a bit more absurd. There was a game ending in a balk. Last night, two throwing errors led to three runs to score, ruining an otherwise stellar start by Dan Haren. It was a horrible loss to suffer, one that prompted Cardinal player Skip Schumaker to say, "You don't see mistakes like that much in the big leagues."

Yes, this season has been terrible to watch for the most part. As fans, we are left to look to individual achievements, like an improbable no-hitter, homeruns by Rob Deer, er, Mark Reynolds, hits by Dan Haren, and watching Justin Upton and Chris Young in general.

Another thing I am almost ready to do is start a sort of bingo game for the season. I’m ready to start rooting for all the different ways that the team could lose, particularly in walk-off style.

For the sake of seeing it all, here are the yet unused spaces I have left on my Walk-off Bingo card:

1. Walk-off wild pitch

The Diamondbacks actually won one game in this fashion, but it didn’t happen TO Arizona, so I don’t count it. The pitching candidate? None other than Esmerling Vasquez, Señor Balk-off.

2. Walk-off passed ball

3. “Walk”-off (ending the game on a based loaded walk)

4. Walk-off steal of home

This bingo space could be marked off one of three ways—a straight steal of home, a busted squeeze play, or a catcher’s brain fart (runners on first and third, runner on first goes for second, catcher throws instead of letting the runner go, and the runner on third scores when the runner on first gets into a rundown).

5. Walk-off squeeze play

6. Walk-off hit batter

7. Walk-off sacrifice fly

For an added flair for this bingo space, preferably it would be on a deep foul ball where the outfielder never would have a chance to throw out the runner. One of those situations where the outfielder should not catch the ball because it is a guaranteed loss.

8. Walk-off inside the park homerun

9. Walk-off grand slam

10. Walk-off score on a play where a player gets knocked out or injured

For sheer “How in the World?” and “Really?” factor, I believe this type of walk-off would be an automatic Bingo win. Is there anything better (worse) than that?

So, Diamondbacks fans, get those cards out and mark off the walk-offs losses we already have suffered. With any luck, it won’t be long until you become the winner of this year’s D’backs Walk-off Bingo.

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